From Vision to Visionary – Ballinspittle gets moving for Biodiversity
To highlight the ecological crisis during National Biodiversity Week, Cork Environmental Forum worked with Karla Goodman, from Kinsale-based Made to Measure Films. This beautiful short film which focuses on one
village, Ballinspittle, where growing awareness is motivating people to make a difference for their environment and their community.
The voices of community members, involved in their local Tidy Towns, show how people in this small village are coming together and taking steps to help biodiversity that is having a positive impact on the environment. Just as importantly is building social connections and growing a vision for the village that is rooted in care of its natural assets and building a future for all that is more sustainable.
Ballinspittle is located in the heart of a rural area and it is vital that rural villages such as this play a part in the changes we need to see everywhere so that our communities and people all help to transform the way we do things. There are many other communities doing likewise but here we see how a rejuvenation of the Tidy Towns has pulled in such a diverse range of people, and with the Covid restrictions, allowed people time to take stock, gain greater understanding of the challenges for nature and build a more resilient can do attitude which is so positive and hopeful.
CEF is very grateful to all the contributors who gave their time in making the film, most especially for sharing their enthusiasm and vison for a future that keeps the village at the heart of the community and acts as a catalyst for more people to get involved in creating a healthier and more vibrant community.
The film was launched on UN Biodiversity Day 2021 whose theme is “We are all part of the solution” echoed in the video by Aishling Minihane “We are part of the solution and it feels good”. We hope it inspires many others to become more aware of what nature needs and become the solution too in their own villages, towns and communities across Cork and the country.
Many thanks to all the contributors, to producer Karla Goodman, Made to Measure Films Ireland Ltd for such a lovely production, great drone footage by Ruairi Develin and to the Department of the Environment, Climate and
Communications for their support.